HOW important is it for an AB+ blood type to know her secretor/non-secretor status???? Thanks! Bethany

Hello, Bethany! Well, there are a number of foods that change value depending on secretor status. Supplementation guidelines in the Encyclopedia also have notes specific to nonsecretors. It is no more important for one blood type than for another, but getting your secretor result can be of great help if you have health concerns you are trying to resolve. If you're trim, healthy and energetic, and are not a performance sportswoman, then following the "plain vanilla" BTD plan is probably all you will need to do! But if there are intractable health issues of any kind, I always counsel to get that test in order to shorten the healing process! hope this helps you make your decision! :-)

I have looked through your type AB store. I am AB non secretor. I have many minor health problems at age 46. High cholesterol (354 unmedicated) they say it's a heredity type. I have benign essential tremors. Overweight by about 45#s. Joint aches, peri menopausal problems, constant tiredness. I take 40mg zocor daily for cholesterol (the Dr is now trying an herbal approach(Cholestin)for 3 months), inderol 80mg for my tremors, and meridia 15mg (I started taking this to loose weight, but found it helped lower my cholesterol even though I'm not loosing weight) I also take motrin 800mg 2x daily if needed. I've been taking co Q10 and folic acid lately, I heard they were good at counteracting the negetive effects of my cholesterol meds. My mother was also type AB. She developed high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer, then secondary bone cancer. I give you all of this information, because I'm trying to decide what I can safely take, that is listed in the AB type store. Will any of this have an adverse effect with the medication I'm taking? How about an adverse effect with the cholestin? I'm also confused on what wheat products I can eat. Any help would be greatly appriciated. Patti

Dear Patti! Right now, because of what you're going through, I would eliminate wheat altogether and use only the beneficials in your grain list, instead. There are a lot of them! In fact, please stick to beneficials from all groups if possible! Please try, anyway, OK? You will feel so much better on a mostly-beneficial diet!!

If your cholesterol meds have negative side-effects (most do!) please speak to your doctor about using Chinese red yeast rice from the most reputable supplier -- here is their webpage. This is a government-assayed, safe and potent product. Every single person I have spoken to who has used it has experienced a dramatic drop in cholesterol within weeks, and that includes many people who were told they had inherited a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia. To order it, go to the page on that site marked "contact," and call them. The cost is about $90 for a bulk package of about two pounds! An effective dosage is about one teaspoon per day, so the package lasts for about a year.

Finally, do get hold of the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia and follow those protocols. I hope you are following a powerful stress-relief practice ~ the suggestions in Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth can be implemented even if you are bedridden, and they are nothing short of miraculous. Let me know how you are doing, and take good care, dear! :-D

I am 56 year old blood type AB & have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in the hips (-2.69 BMD)& osteopenia of the spine (-1.36 BMD). The doctor has percribed 70 mg. Fosamax 1/per week. While the medicine is known to rebuild bone density, it is cruel on the digestive tract. Is there another natural product that is just as effective? I have been following the Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type for approximately 1 1/2 years and prefer to stay away from man made medicines as much as possible. Thanks in advance for your input! Sandy

Hello, Sandy! YES! I suggest you get away from the fosamax ASAP. The reports of its side-effects and lack of effectiveness are mounting up. What has worked for my friends and acquaintances is daily use of: Cortiguard (available in the Store on this site), Phytocal-AB, weight-bearing exercise, and foods high in calcium. Because the link varies, just go to the Ask Dr. D'Adamo page, scroll to the bottom and enter the search term "calcium." You'll see in the list a post entitled Calcium from Almonds ~ that's the one that has a list of calcium-rich foods. And see my message just above, regarding a stress-relief practice. It is truly amazing how effective it can be for ailments that appear at first glance entirely unrelated to "stress." For your level of osteoporosis, I'd use the Encyclopedia protocols for it as well.

In this case, the natural approach is far more effective than fosamax, and it "first does no harm," which is more than we can say for most drugs on the market.

thank you for writing, Sandy ~ I'm sure you'll see some progress soon. It does take time to reverse these conditions, but slow and steady WILL win the day! Please keep me posted on how you do! :-D

Hello Heidi! I am B-secretor type.My question is: what is good-quality lecithin, which I use in Membrane Fluidizer Coctail? Is it soy granules (avoid type for or Phosphatidyl choline? Where to buy the last one? I used soy granules,inspite of avoid,but later I found PC in "Complete Blood Encyclopedia" with specific beneficial effect for my blood type. Thanks and regard, Yelena.

I am type B and see that I should avoid soy products. However lecithin, which I love, is mostly found made from Soy. Is there any source for lecitin granuals (I don't want caps) other than soy and where could I purchase. My health food store only caries the soy product. Love your research and am following the diet as best I can (I still choke on adding lamb and venison because I have been vegetarian for 8 years, but love cheese and fish). Rebecca

Greetings, Yelena and Rebecca! Soy lecithin is perfectly fine for all types. Consult the link, TYPEbase3. Search for "lecithin." Egg lecithin is also available, but I know of no organic brand, so I'm happier if you use the soy lecithin -- which, just to reiterate, does not contain the harmful "soy lectin." :-) Phosphatidyl choline is one of the elements supplied in lecithin, and can also be purchased separately at specialty supplement shops. Don't worry, Rebecca, you're doing fine! and you may find you develop a taste for those meats later on. ~:-D

Hi Heidi. I am B neg and on the yeast protocol. You mentioned it can help to avoid all grains for a month or two. Is Manna bread considered a grain? I'm hoping because it is sprouted I can still eat it on my grain-free yeast protocol. Also I found 100% fresh sprouted bread that is not called Manna or Ezekiel. Is it okay to eat if the only ingredients are 100% sprouted grains and water? I made a chart for myself to remind me how much and how often I can eat the different food groups. But on my chart I put Fruit: 1/2cup, 4-6x/week instead of Fruit: 1cup, 2-3x/week. Does it make a difference if I eat the food more often if I break it up into smaller portions?? I find I'm happier and more satisfied if I can eat fruit, cheese, beans and grains more often in smaller portions than doing without for many days. Thanks for your help! Laura

Hello, Laura ~ I want to point out that the fruit frequencies should read "per day" rather than "per week!" (This is listed in the Updates Page linked on our main page, www.dadamo.com.) Manna bread is still considered a grain ~ the lectin is destroyed, but the other elements of grain remain. Any 100% sprouted grain product is OK if it contains no avoids for you. Eating your meals as smaller, more frequent snacks is a great idea! Keep with it! :-)

I am B+ and I just starting the diet in UK with some difficulty in finding products. As I have types A and AB in the house I am trying to combine it all and am doing a spreasheet with a list of all foods and who should eat what. Hence a few questions : is brocoli ok for type B? How about Ostrich meat? Is Lemon Sole only ok for type O? How about Pecan nuts for A, B or AB? Is A allowed to eat bagels? Is cassava or Manioc the same as Yam? Do you know cassava flour? How about orange peppers, they are not mentioned on the lists. Marcia

Hi, Marcia! Whoo, you have your work cut out for you! ;-) Cassava and manioc have not been specifically tested, but I would consider them as having the same value as yam. For peppers of any color, use the rating given for Pepper - green/red/yellow. Bagels? Depends on the ingredients! :-D All the rest of your answers are right there in TYPEbase3. Do one separate search for each item -- broccoli, ostrich, sole, pecan. Thanks for writing, and good luck with your three-type household!! :-D

I'm a type B. I found a mayo that's made with grapeseed oil instead of canola oil but haven't been able to find any information that would tell me if the grapeseed oil is an acceptable oil. It's extremely difficult to find oil containing products that do not use oils to be avoided for my type. I am very hopeful that this would be an acceptable (maybe even beneficial) alternative for me. I would very much appreciate your help. Thanks! Casey

Casey, we don't yet have a rating for grapeseed oil. In my opinion, it will turn out to be a neutral for all types ~ technically, since it has not yet been tested, it can be used as a neutral if you have no severe health difficulties at this time. Both grapeseed and rice bran oils are also wonderful for safe higher-heat cooking! Thanks for your note! :-D

I am new and a type B. I note that I am not allowed olives but the only beneficial oil for me is olive oil which seems illogical - can you explain. I have not completed everything in the book yet but have seen no mention of honey or other sweeteners can you give me guidance. Maggie

Welcome to the BTD, Maggie! About olives/oil: Short answer? Oil is only one part of the olive. :-) There are many kinds of olives, and many kinds of olive oil, but for Bs, it's best to stay away from olives because of fermentation and mold concerns. There are many sweeteners listed in Live Right 4 Your Type, and we also maintain a searchable food database in case you'd like to check individual items. thanks, Maggie!!

I am 39 years old female type B-. I have started to eat what's wright for my type. I just wanted to know about were to place green bananas since I eat them often and they were in no category. Green bananas are different from plantains they're eaten boiled and are not sweet. Also I would like to know if Palm oil is good for me. Waiting for your reply I thank you very much. Liberata

Hey, welcome in, Liberata ~ Well, if they are indeed bananas and not plaintains, then use the TYPEbase 3 link right above, in Maggie's answer, and search for "banana." Palm oil is unlisted, but is a rather vexed topic. Here is the column I wrote on it a while back ~ read up & let me know your views! take care, dear, and keep in touch!

I am Type B and noticed that "Grape-Nuts" is listed on my list as being able to be consumed. These are manufactured with both barley and wheat - barley is a no-no for me and wheat is to be monitored. What's the scoop? Cara

Hi there, Cara! The scoop is: read the ingredient list of all products before purchasing them, which I see you do! Good work!! Second, I think we will be modifying that listing to remove it, as the newer research on blood type-reactivity has resulted in a shift of values for the Grape Nuts ingredients. I'm going to look into this, and thank you!!

My blood type is B negative. I'm a 43 year old male. I have hypothyroidism, reflux, and I've just discovered, high cholesterol (230). I'm treating the first two successfully via meds. I would really like to control the third problem if I could without meds. Instead of red meat, I'm eating a lot more fish, and egg whites. I would like to eat Tofu/Tempeh. Both seem to do well in my system, yet I see that they are on the "Avoid" list for vegetables (page 161). On page 152 of the book, however, it states: Soy foods often are recommended as dairy substitutes. You may eat soy foods, but they're mostly benign for Type Bs. I understand that the fear in recommending soy foods is that B's will substitute them as main courses instead of eating meat. Question: are Tofu and Tempeh on the Avoid list for "B's" because of the concern that "B's" will substitute them for main courses and miss out on the benefits of eating meat, fish, and dairy, or do those two foods actually contain the harmful lectins B's should avoid? Thanks for your time. Max

Hi, Max! The avoid status for soy is the result of research that has been done since BTD was published in 1996. It has been found to have a pesky antigen-cleaving property which we do want you to avoid! Your cholesterol is not awfully high, and I think you'll see it normalize just through following the diet for a few months. As to thyroid and reflux, scroll to the bottom of this page and enter first one, then the other. I've entered a bunch of suggestions for you ~ you might be off meds altogether, much sooner than you think!! :-)

I have just recently been put on the "b" blood type diet by my naturopath, she's given me a list of highly beneficial and avoid foods. It says however, that pumpernickel bread is neutral for my bloodtype, why is it then that it is made mainly out of rye and considerd ok but I have to avoid rye products? Could you please offer me some clarity on this one and weather or not I can eat pumpernickel or not. Rhea

Ah! Well, she may be working from an outdated list. Tell her that these values have changed with new research since 1996, and ask her to re-check the foods on the list she gives you with the TYPEbase3 food database, also linked on our front page, www.dadamo.com. Hang in there, Rhea ~ this plan will do wonders for you. And I'm always happy to hear newbies are scrutinizing those product ingredients -- that's a habit which will carry you in good stead. Keep me informed on your progress, dear!

My sister is a type B secretor (lucky girl, I'm a B non-secretor!) and she was recently diagnosed with fibroids. Her doctor suggests that she take an iron supplement and wait and see how what happens. The fibroids cause her some pain and the iron supplements cause constipation. Has anyone had success with the blood type diet and getting rid of or reducing fibroids? Are there any particularly bad foods for this condition, or maybe supplements that could help? I have suggested getting as close to 100% compliance as possible for at least a month and see if that helps? What do you think? Cindy

Nice to hear from you, Cindy!! That is an EXCELLENT suggestion of yours, to stick to the beneficials. Additionally, the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia has specific protocols for uterine fibroids. Take a good close look at these guidelines, and get your sister going with them. I am sure they will do a world of good. Let me know how this goes for her, OK? thanks, friend!!

Thanks for listening and providing insight into what is, for many of us, the unknown. My question(s): I am Type A, secretor status unknown. I have been to see a "nutrapath" who has put me on a diet, which is basically, a Type A diet; however, she says I have an "acidic stomach" and must avoid foods that agrevate this ie. oats. I was always under the impression Type O's had the acidic stomach and Type A's were more alkaline. Now I'm thinking based on my reading, that I might be a non-secrector? My new diet consists of lots of fish, eggs, lots of liver (if palatable), beans, chicken, soy, lots of vegies and minimal fruit (no sugar). No wheat, oats, rice, tomatoes, dairy, seafood, mushrooms, coffee, nuts, beets, green/red peppers, processed foods, tropical fruits, sugar, grapes,etc. I am also supplementing with manganese, B12 & B6, iron(alternate to liver!),Omega's, blue-green algae, acidophilus and some homeopathic stuff. I also have started juicing, mainly lemons, apples, celery, cucumber, spinach, carrots, romaine lettuce. My next question relates to the blue-green algae; is this supplement okay for Type A and in general, is blue=green algae "safe"? Pam

Hi, Pam ~ see below for the "acid/alkaline" question. If I were you, I would use chlorella or barley green or wheatgrass ... ANYTHING, in fact ... rather than algae. See below for more on that one, too. And I'd stick to chicken livers for the liver part of the plan. If your naturopath (?) wants you to eat avoids, I'd draw the line there ~ otherwise, just check the diet sheet against TYPEbase3 to make sure everything is A-OK! :-D

In the Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists book for blood type A, it is stated that blue green algae is a food to avoid. Why, exactly? I've been using it for eight years and have always believed that it is good for me. If I should avoid it, I will...but with an explanation. Thanks! Anne

Hi, I am a type A negative and I have suffered from a fungal infection on my toe nails for about 10 years now. Since I have started my blood type diet, I am really happy to see some results with my energy level and I am really looking forward now in following the yeast/fungus resistance protocol, hoping that this will help me to get rid of my infection for good. Here's my question : concerning the protocols, is it possible to order all of these products with the North American Pharmacal store ? The reason I ask is that some of the products are just not possible to find in Health stores. Thank you for responding back to me as I am really desperate to try this protocol ! Karen

Hi, Karen ~ For your toenails, try applying two drops of plain white vinegar to the base of the nail, every night, until you see results. This is a method that has worked for many people. NAP does not carry all of the products mentioned in the protocols, but a websearch will find them, and from there you can either order them online or request that your HFS order them for you. Glad the diet is doing good things for you!! :-D

My daughter is blood type A, and has acid reflux. She wanted to try the blood type diet. Would there be more restrictions on certain foods because of her acid reflux? I have been on the diet and I love the results I get from it, so I have told her about it. Lori

Hello, Lori ~ to be safe, she can follow the diet while avoiding anything on a list she has been given of foods off the diet of reflux sufferers. Also, see a column I wrote with info on GERD, here!

Hi, I've just been to see my Iridologist and he tells me I'm acidic. So is my mum and sister. I'm starting to develope the ring around my eyes which is indicative of hardening of the arteries. I've also been battling a tendency to higher blood pressure for years. I'm only 39 and watch my diet. I'm too young for this! Help! We're all type A's. I notice that most of the type A foods fit well with the Alkalising diet that the Iridologist suggested but, not all. How does the idea of alkalinity v's acidity fit within the BTD view of food/health? I've been following the blood type diet for about 2 months now and taking milk out of my diet (in particular) was the smartest thing I ever did! It was easy to remove because of the immediate changes! Meat wasn't hard to reduce/remove. Wheat is very difficult but I have reduced it by substituting non-wheat products. Corn doesn't seem to be much of a problem in Australia as we seem not to eat much of it anyway. I love seafood/fish so that's easy! Vege's are what I've been slowly moving towards anyway. I notice that I seem to need to eat less. I get less cravings. I don't get as hungry. I seem to maintain concentration longer. I've lost a bit of weight (side effect). My GI tract is no longer in turmoil. No more fuzzy tongue. Sweat is no longer smelly. Scalp itching virtually disappeared. Able to exercise harder now. No halitosis. My nose is clear for the first time in 20 years! Speech remains more distinct even when tired. Sleeping 1-2 hrs less per day(6-7hrs/night). More energy! White spots on nails have all but disappeared! Able to do more! Zest for life is improved (I'm normally very active anyway). I'm still fine tuning this! I wish I'd learned some of this years ago! :-) Michael ~ Dip App Sc Nursing B Bus Acc Grad Dip Bus Comp Dip Ed

:-) Hi, Michael ~ Try a serving of oatmeal every morning ("Phil's BP Buster"), and re-check your blood pressure in two weeks. The acid/alkaline business is largely addressed by the choice of foods on the diets and their qualities once digested ~ for instance, grapefruit is considered an acid food, yet exhibits alkaline properties in the digestive tract. I'm thrilled you are enjoying the benefits of the diet! Enjoy, and keep in touch!!

I was wondering about the status of Sheeps milk cheeses for type A. Manchego, a Spanish cheese, is one of my favourites! Debbie

I've been taking a New Year's stock of how far we've come! ... and how far behind I am. :-} From 2002, there are roughly 200 questions-in-the-queue for Os, 60 for As, 40 for Bs and 5 for ABs ~ with a few O-queries dating from {cough} JUNE, I just discovered. So, in order to address the backlog in an organized fashion, this week started with a four-part roundup of the general questions. Today's column is the first of a rotating schedule of roundups of the blood-type-specific questions for each type. In three weeks, I'll begin doing multi-type "potpourris" again for the Jan/Feb questions, so that we'll be all caught up & breezy by March 1, 2003!

READY - STEADY - GO!

Hi Heidi My question is about weight loss. I have been on an O (secretor) diet for 2 weeks - and I have lost 7lbs. My weight has previously been steady at 11 stone for years. Whilst this may be desirable for some people - I am already at the threshold of my BMI (body mass index) - and don't want to lose any more (I am a 6 foot, male). A typical day for me is: Breakfast: walnuts, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, rice milk Mid-morning: Can of sardines Lunch: 6oz fillet steak, sweet potatoes Mid afternoon: Mango Dinner: 6oz Cod, spinach, rice I feel so much better on the diet: energised - and my skin is very clear now. I don't have the surges and drops in blood sugar that I used to have - so I feel much more stable. Are there protein drinks which I should take (the kind that body builders use) - and could you recommend one? I already have a supply of Peter's bars - and I'm starting to eat one a day. Any advice gratefully received. (Maybe my natural metabolic rate is very high)! Regards, David.

Ah, my dear, what some wouldn't give to have your problem, eh? :-) Seriously, at six feet and 154 pounds, you didn't have the 7 pounds to spare. I'm sure you're an ectomorph with a light bone structure, but I think a weight-gain routine is called for. The key for you is weight training, and the gain will be slow but steady if you engage in two heavy workouts every week -- one on the upper body and one on the lower. -- Or investigate www.superslow.com and get hold of a video or instructor if you can. You should see a pound gained every week or two. Eat when you are hungry, and add the following smoothie sometime after your supper, but at least two hours before sleeping: two hard-boiled eggs, one tablespoon olive or walnut oil, two tablespoons flaxseed ground and soaked in a bit of water for 15 minutes, a cup of fresh or frozen fruit/berries of your choice, two tablespoons nutritional yeast, and two tablespoons of nutbutter. Blend it up, and add ice cubes and/or spring or mineral water to adjust the consistency as desired. Tweak the ingredients to taste! And keep me posted!

I'm an AB & my husband (who has recently started the diet) is an O with several questions. 1. Lemons vs. oranges ... are oranges acceptable if one is on aciphex(he's on aciphex for aspirin damage to intestines ... aspirin a day because of recent diagnosis of a heart arrhthymia (A-Fib or A-Flutter)? 2. Sprouted breads (like sprouted sourdough that contains wheat gluten)? 3. Oats, oat bran for an O not concerned w/ weight loss (but is currently taking aciphex for the aspirin damage)? 4. Turkey bacon & turkey pepperoni? 5. Apple juice is an avoid for O's ... how about apples freshly juiced in our juicer? Thanks very much!!! Tricia

Hi, Tricia! 1. Oranges are no good for him. Grapefruit or lemons are both much better. 2. Sprouted breads are fine as long as the grains are 100% sprouted -- no whole wheat or corn! 3. Whole, cooked oats are fine, but I wouldn't challenge him with any oat bran products. 4. He'd do better on fresh, uncured meats for the time being. 5. Apples will be OK for him, and the fresh juice is great, but do dilute 1/2 and 1/2 with pure water, to buffer the effects of the sugar. :-)

i have just bought one of dr. adamo's books and i am fascinated by this approach to health and weight loss! prior to discovering this very interesting information, i was on a low carb, high protein diet which appeared to be working for me. i am type 0 and some of the foods in dr. adamo's book are high in carbs (especially the fruit)and frankly, i am very hesitant to eat them for fear of gaining the weight back that i have recently lost. could you please advise how carbs figure into dr. adamo's plans? thank you! Kim

A great way to really understand the basis of these diets is to read Live Right 4 Your Type, then read it again! Those vegetables and fruits are absolutely essential to good health. Start out by staying with your current high-protein/low-carb plan but eliminating the avoids for Os. Then introduce the beneficials from the fruit & vegetable lists that you don't normally eat. Go at your own speed and keep an eye on your strength, skin and the scales... I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised! good luck, Kim!

In the enclyclopedia, page 475, the cardiovascular protocols for type O says take L-Carnitine, 50 mg: 1-2 capsules, twice daily. I asked at my HFS and they didn't think 50 mg. was correct. Is the 50 mg correct? Or should it be something different? Help! My blood pressure is up and I need to get it down before my next visit to the doctor or he will insist I take blood pressure medication. In addition to the advised protocols for hypertension I am trying to lose some weight and to walk more. Thanks for your help ^heidi^. Anita

Hey there, Anita! Yes, that's the protocol. Get as close as you can to that dosage. Don't let your doctor insist on drugs -- instead, use Phil's oatmeal plan: one serving every morning, and see your doctor after two weeks. Do get out there and walk, dear!! It is SO wonderful for everything that ails ya! And it is a great mood-enhancer! Keep with it, and drop me a note on your results!! :-D

Hello. I have just started on the food plan. I am O+ (not sure about secretor status, not even sure yet what that is or if it is all that important to know), have been living a mainly vegetarian life for years, but now am trying to switch to the O plan completely. I love rice 'milk', and am happy that is okay for Os to drink. However, the only rice 'milk' we have here in Finland, where I live, has safflower oil ... and I noted that the book said to get rice 'milk' without safflower oil. How strict is this? If I cannot get rice 'milk' without safflower oil, will it really do a lot of bad for me to drink the stuff with the oil? Thank you for your reply. Carol-lee

Carol-lee, that is quite OK right now while you're getting adjusted to the new diet. It will not do a lot of harm, but try to (1) find another brand in a different store or online, or (2) get a recipe for making your own -- there are numerous ones online, just go to www.alltheweb.com/advanced and search for a rice milk recipe. You can use a little olive or flax oil as an emulsifier for small batches of the milk! In the meantime ~ take a look at our "Getting Started" page, and congratulate yourself for taking the leap into a new, healthy lifestyle!! :-D

I am a Type O blood type. I cringe a bit when I think about eating red meat. I cringe because I thought red meat is not good for the colon. What is your take on this? Thank you so much. Patti

:-) Hey there, Patti! Well, red meat is not good for everyone's colons, but it is good for ours. :-) We are speedy flesh-food digestion machines (;-)), so take a good read through Live Right 4 Your Type and study the references given ~ see what you think! :-D

dear heidi, please could you help?i am o type.i've been a vegan since last year & felt well & felt it helped with my ongoing weight loss(take supplements)but since january my weight loss has been minimal.my tummy is bloated,only very occasionally it hurts.my toilet habits have become erratic(between 0-2xday).i have avoided wheat,dairy, yeast,since may 2000.6 weeks ago i started the blood type tentatively, all i eliminated was oats in 4 weeks i lost 6lb.since i have reintroduced fish/meat my tum is rock hard & i put on 2lb.i went to my dr's who said i had IBS.he has given me fibregel to take.is it ok? he said it had baluga husk in it which they always give to IBS sufferers.he poo-poohed the BTD diet when i tried to explain it to him.he said i was in danger of becoming obsessive & that he had seen many people who were sufferers of fad diets.i told him i believe this not to be a fad diet & recommended he read LR4YT.Also,that i feel eating correctly has helped me,ie;when i originally eliminated dairy produce may 2000 i didn't need my inhaler after 3 days!giving up wheat alongside the weightwatchers points programme has helped me to lose 7 1/2stone.giving up yeast has helped me to mostly control my candida problem.unlike grapefruit diets or cabbage soup diet which my dr did himself!)i told him i wanted to not only lose weight but i wanted to be well inside.i personally want to find the root cause rather than treat the symptoms after all a diet's for life not just for christmas!but he was still very negative & dismissive.i can see i might have IBS considering my change of diet but want to know if it will settle down,can i do anything else to help it(already doing linseed).the nutritionist in health food shop advised me not to take kelp tablets but i've forgotten why.should i start taking them?please help me i'm at my wits end,thankyou debs:< ps when i went to your scottish website & read about the secretor test it sounded very complicated & was worried if i were to pay all that money for it & didn't do it properly it would be time,money wasted & health compromised please could you advise me how you do it.also is it really necessary to find out about rh-/+ or is blood type/secretor enough?also i've still not been able to get my head around the intracellular/extracellular water retention ie that comes with melon,please help me. your advice is greatly appreciated. regards debs.x

re my prev message.the contents of the fibregel(trademark fybogel) is ispaghula husk.is this ok for o types.also the contents include aspartame (avoid) & potassium chloride(?). there were a choice of orange or lemon flavour & i deliberately chose lemon as orange is an avoid.however is this stuff ok.my doc said give it one month and then he may do tests,please help,sorry to be a pain, regards debs.

Hallo, debs! Your doctor deserves a kick in the bum. Please don't tell him I said that, it won't do a bit of good. ;-D Ack, please don't take that yucky aspartame and husk business. First, go to the bottom of this page and enter "joachim." You'll find on that page a protocol for colitis, which should help you within a couple of weeks. When you re-introduce meats, start taking pancreatic enzymes (from your local supp shop) before each meal. Third, the instructions given with the secretor test are very specific. Just follow them, and you'll get the correct results -- it is a nearly 100%-reliable test. While it's rather minor in the scale of things, the Rh type is useful in determining portions of meat and grain. If you'd like to get yours, the regular ABO test (the card) gives Rh as well as ABO type. And the beneficial melons tend to increase water WITHIN your cells (intra) and decrease water BETWEEN your cells (extra), also known as edema and bloat! Thanks for your message, dear, and keep in touch!!

Dear Heidi, I started the O blood diet about 4 months ago (after 4 years of being vegan) to see if it would cure my terrible digestive troubles and I have had a miraculous improvement - no more bloating or acid reflux etc. I have also been gradually loosing weight, which in my case is actually quite unwanted as I was very lean to begin with. I haven't been eating much red meat but I'm getting through about 500g of chicken and fish a day with lashigs of flax/olive oil (+ veges, nuts, fruit etc). Do you have any thoughts on how I might be able to gain about 12kg. Thankyou for all the time and energy you devote to OTD. louke

Dear louke! Another type O with what many would consider an enviable problem! :-D See the first message on this page, from David ~ I'd say you can get that 12kg on in about two months, so keep working it and don't give up!! I'm so pleased to hear your fabulous results! It took me only six weeks to gain the 8kg I needed when I first started this plan, but once your regimen is in place you'll forget you ever had a weight problem. Heigh! Ho! Let's Go!

:-D

Hi ^heidi^! You're writing a great column! Hope you're doing well over there! I'm an O (likely secretor) with 2 questions because I'm wanting to go camping. Do you have any great O camping food ideas? Meat & veggies are hard to bring unless dried. And I'm allergic to nuts. The other question: I'm looking into pemmican -- the recipes I'm finding are a mixture of dried beef, dried fruit, & fat (either beef fat, butter or soynut/peanut butter). They all say to store in a cool place and it will keep for months...But it might get hot where this O goes camping. (Northwoods!) Do you know if pemmican would really keep on the trail? Would appreciate anything you know that would support this ever so much healthier O in getting back to the woods! Thanks Muchly ^heidi^! (o:

Well, for NEXT summer's camping trips (lol!), yes, pemmican is a wonderful food and it keeps quite nicely on a weekend or week-long trip. Get hold of A.D. Livingston's Jerky (The Lyons Press), and a dehydrator for whole fruit, whole veg AND meats. Dried plums and a bag of dulse are O-camper essentials. Oh, how i miss camping!! Plan now, and you'll be stylin' when the warm weather comes round again! ;-D

Heidi, The type O lists paperback book for vegetables shows a separate daily frequency for cooked versus raw. However, in LR4YT the vegetable frequency chart is separated by beneficials versus neutrals, not cooked versus raw. Are both books correct in how they show the frequency for the vegetables category? Which way of looking at vegetable frequency is more important or do I need to figure out a way to combine the two different methods? Thanks, Don

Naw, don't sweat it. Eat as much raw veg as possible, and cook the rest. We do encourage a high quantity of raw food, but the important things is to use the diet to your benefit ~ just do your best! :-)

Hi, Do you recommend the "lecithin and flaxseed oil drink" for blood type "o"? Thank you. Best Regards, Chuck

It is perfectly fine for everyone, although it does spectacular things for Bs. Adjust it to beneficial for you through your choice of fruit & oils. enjoy!

:-)

I am a Type O positive. I suffer from proteinura glumerolous nephritis and in October it started affecting my blood pressure. I have been on the type diet about 4months and my BP meds has been reduced from 10 mg (altace) to 1.25mg. I started taking ARA6 about a month ago and finally my lab work showed a SLIGHT improvement I also took 1 bottle of Deflect. I started taking Quercetin for my horrible sinus allergies but I think it was giving nightmare but I continued with it. Also my Blood pressure started escalating again up to 140/98. I took Nitricycle (3 caps 2x daily)for a few days but I am wondering if it is safe to take with my BP meds. I desperately want off my BP meds Any other suggestions to help my condition is much appreciated. Thanks Bertha

Bertha, try a serving of oatmeal once per day, and have your BP tested in a couple of weeks. Nitricyle should not interfere with your medications, but general worry over the supps may slow your progress a bit. Stick with the oatmeal, and the ARA6, and write back to let me know how you're doing!

I am a type O and have justed started to use the Blood Type diet. I use Revival Soy Powder in a drink that I make with pineapple juice, pineapples, and flax seed oil. I am menopausal and have found that the soy protein has made this transition so easy as I never have hot flashes or night sweats. I drink this combination almost every day and was wondering if this was the best way for me to start my day? Many thanks, Cheryl

If it works for you, stick to it! In that case, I'd minimize beans in the rest of your diet, as type Os don't really need them as a nutritional element. Let me know how things go as time goes on, OK? ;-)

I am wondering if the polyamine levels in canned fish such as sardines, mackerl, and herring are high enough to avoid. I know fresh fish is recommended. Also, are black peppercorns ok for type O's even though ground black pepper is not? Chris

I am on your diet,but befor I heard about it,Iwas takeing some,NEO FLEX ADVANCED JOINT SUPPORT FORMULA,AND SOME CORAL CALCIUM for arthritus,it semed to be helping so I am still takeing it. I am type o,since I have been on the diet I have lost 30 pounds and feel much better,I got 4 your type basic packs my knee is much better but still has a problem,I was wondering if takeing the recomended dodage if there is any danger of over doing it I was intending to keep takeing the calcium supliment.I am 81 the Doctor I went to for a lot of those years retired,and the next one got sick and quit his practice, the one I am going to now is not very receptive to what Iam doing ,I have not needed a doctor much all my life ,maney of my friends that have are dead so I am my own ginney pig , I got all your books but I have not had time to obsorbe them yet , I`ll take full responsibity if you could give me any warnings if need be I would appreciate it.I CHECK MY BLOOD PRESURE AND HEART RATE EVERY FEW DAYS SEEMS FINE,GOT ENERGY SO i AM KEEPING BUSY. warren

Aw, heck, Warren. I'm supposed to give YOU advice?? Seems to me we should set up a column so people can ask YOU questions!! ~:-D

There's no danger of overdoing it with your supps as you've described them. Add some olive and/or walnut or flax oil, and put a little into some carrot juice ~ shake it up and enjoy. It might help loosen up that knee while you're waiting for the Deflect to work its wonders. It's such a pleasure to hear from you! Have a great time with the new diet, and don't be a stranger, OK? :-D

I am having a difficult time getting my blood type. I tried my health practitioner they said it was a very expensive test and my HMO does not cover it. I tried giving blood to the American Red Cross and I was deferred because I have travelled to a country that has a high malaria rate. What is the quickest most accurate way for me to find out my blood type. patricia

Very simple, and truly quick & accurate! Order it right here! Thanks, patricia! :-)

I have a question about the pervasiveness of corn in so many products. I understand to look for anything that has corn "whatever" in the ingredients list, but what I don't understand is what frequently used ingredients come from corn that aren't labeled as such, that I should also avoid. Could you provide a list of ingredients that come from corn that should be avoided? One specific issue that I recently became aware of from the BTD information was the issue of Vitamin C made from ascorbic acid. Should ascorbic acid be avoided? Don

Hello, Don! The problem is that there are too many places to find corn-sourced ingredients, and most of them conflict with each other. The safest way to stay corn-free is to call or email the manufacturer and get an answer on whatever shifty-looking ingredient before buying the product. Ascorbic acid itself does not contain a lectin, but I'd stick with food-based C ~ rosehip, acerola cherry ~ or have a daily dose of water from overnight-soaked organic rosehips ~ as our bodies absorb it far better. :-)

hello Heidi I have a question about beneficial enzymes such as Bromelain found in pineapple.. are these enzymes affected or killed by the pasteurization process that occurs in the canning process. i love pineapple juice and want to get the most out of it possible... thanks for you help, Rachel

Hey there, Rachel! Well, I suspect bromelain is a hard enzyme to kill ~ folks, please correct me if I'm wrong. You see, the supplement forms of bromelain are produced through extraction from the pineapple stalks left after the fruit is harvested, and if bromelain can survive that process, I'd suspect it can survive pasteurization. That said, you'll get more of *all* the goodness in pineapple by investing in a juicer and using fresh fruit -- but as always, the best you can do is just great, and far better than the Standard American Diet!! :-D

Heidi, I was just about to call American Red Cross to schedule a blood donation when the question crossed my mind is giving blood stressful to the body? Is there anything special one should do to prepare for a donation? Is there anything special one should do afterwards to reduce any negative impact and reduce recovery time? Don

Well, it does take a tiny toll on the body, but in a couple of hours you'll be back to base. Be well fed & hydrated an hour or two before arriving. I've found a snack & a drink immediately afterward, and ten minutes' sitting while having it, does the trick for me. I pack a small bottle of prune juice and one of water, along with some jerky or nutbutter-filled celery sticks, and prepare to courteously decline the OJ and the Keebler cookies! LOL! If it's your first time giving blood, sip some water, then sit & have your snack, then get up quickly and see how you feel. Woozy? Siddown! Stay a few minutes more and try again. It shouldn't take more than five minutes more. I'm so pleased you'll be a fellow blood donor, Don!! It's a WONDERFUL thing to do, and I wish everyone who can would join the club!! ~:-D

What does too much Vitamin A do to you? Amanda

;-D Ah. Well: have enough of it, and your skin will fall off. SCARY! :-D Seriously, that's just what happened to some Northern explorers who wanted, naturally, to use all the meat from the polar bear they had hunted and killed for food. Unfortunately, polar bear liver contains such a massive dose of vitamin A that even a small portion is way over our RDA. ;-) imagine their surprise, eh? :-( So be very careful if you need to supplement it, and I strongly recommend using carrots, carrot juice, and other food-based sources of carotenoids rather than those powerful doses of synthetic A found in many supps. OK? :-D thanks, Amanda!

Heidi, I am a Type O faithful reader of your daily column. Lately I noticed some comments by a contributor, and have read in other articles, about the importance of getting the right balance between Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 fatty acids. If one is following the BTD and is reasonably compliant, is there any need to pay additonal attention to this? I personally use about 2 tablespoons ground flax seed, and some olive oil daily, and try to eat some nuts, red meat and fish several times a week. Can we assume that if we're following the diet for our particular blood type, we are getting the right balance? Thank you. Nancy

Nancy, you've got it to a T. The diets are designed to provide optimum nutrients, and EFA supplementation is generally suggested only in deficiency disease states. That said, the Standard American Diet is woefully imbalanced in the EFA department as in so many others, but a switch to the BTD will gradually rectify that situation by supplying the various deficiencies in food-level amounts and natural forms. Thanks for your Q, it's a great one! :-D

Dear Peter, I would like to start my email by acknowledging your tremendous work that you have done on research of blood group types and putting together the diet for them. Thank you very much. Not long time ago I purchased one of the latest editions of your book “Complete encyclopedia for blood group types”.I have noticed that there are a lot of changes in food databas in this latest edition. Quite a few food products in Os and As were shifted from “beneficial” to “neutral” and from “avoid” to “neutral” and what is more surprising some were moved from “avoid” to “beneficial” and vice versa. Could you please explain why there is such a big difference between your early "er4bg"and the latest book "complete enciclopedia". Thank you kindly for taking your time to read my email. And I am looking forward to your reply. Best regards Angela

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Why have some foods "moved" from avoid to neutral or from neutral to beneficial. In the book, (Eat Right for Your Blood Type), Oatmeal for Type O is on the avoid list; and in the small food only book for Type O it is neutral. kathy

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Hello, I have purchased all three books: 1) Eat Right For Your Type (hard back) 2) Food, Beverage and Supplement lists 3) Eat Right For Your Type Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia Within these three books I have found several condrictions about foods being Beneficial, Neutral or Avoid. Are these typographical errors and how am I to know which is correct? Example: For type O's, Mayonnaise is listed as Avoid in (2), however, Mayonnaise is listed as Neutral in (3) except for non-Secreters. Example: For Type A's, Walnuts are listed as Benificial in (2) and (3), however, Walnuts are listed as Neutral in (1). A friend of mine and I are endeavoring to employ the "Eat Right For Your Type" diet, however, it is disconcerting when your books do not agree with one another. Does a central reference exist for resolving these contridictions and/or is one of the books meant to prevail over the others? Thanks and confused, Gordon

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My husband and I recently started the diet and do feel better. We've been on it only for about 3 weeks. My question is we have found discrepecies between the hard cover book, and the small paperback for each blood type. I am A he is O. According to the big book beer is a nuetral but the small book has it on the avoid list. Also Turtle is listed in meat as avoid but in seafood a nutreal. Small book says Green Tea is highly beneficial but big book says nuetral. The AB diet in large book says coffee is highly beneficial but small book says to avoid. A friend of ours is AB. Which book should be beleive or since small book is newer has there been updates? Confused in Bolingbrook. Tom and Charla

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Thank you for the wonderful work you do. After reading "Eat right 4 your type" one of my first comments was: This is Nobel Prize material! I do expect this award eventually to be presented to Dr. D'Adamo. I own the "Eat right 4 your type" hardcover book and have recently purchased the samll Blood Type O booklet. In it I found that certain foods show up in different categories than they did in the original book. Example: banana. In the book it was listed under "neutral", in the booklet it is "highly beneficial". Is this regrouping based on new findings or the result of misprints? Which of your publications should I go by - book? booklet? Appreciate your comment. Thanks, Herlinde

Greetings, friends!

FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists?

Here’s the scoop:

* IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. *

* IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates and reasons for changes (here is a link to that page) -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. *

In Live Right for Your Blood Type Dr D'Adamo lists "red flags" for each blood type. I am a blood type A sector. Blood type A list of red flags is navy beans, lima beans, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and eggplant. If a food is listed as a red flag does mean that you should never ever eat it? These seven foods are all avoids for blood type A. Tomatoes, eggplant and cabbage are Tier Two avoids. Thank You. Joyce

Hi there, Joyce! Here is a column where I discussed the red flag list. I specifically addressed a type O question, but the principle applies to all the types. Take a look and see if this clarifies the issue adequately for you ~ and if not, write back! :-D

I enjoy your column. i have 2 questions about the BTD products. 1) Why were the probiotics and Multivitamins reformulated? Should the older version still be used? 2) Why was the Herbal product discontinued. Thanks - Barry

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~ Hello Heidi ~ I just bet you've answered this question before, but I am having a heck a time locating it in the columns. ;^D Are the various Blood Type supplements (polyflors, polyvite, probiotics, etc.) NON-Secretor friendly. I can't figure out why Pharmacal is not more forthcoming with that curcial little bit of info. I see it mentioned on the foodbars in development, but what about the basics. Would greatly appreciate a confirmation, yea or nay. Thank you for your continuing work, and your delightful sense of humor. Warmest Regards, Valerie

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:-} thanks, Valerie! Yes, they're great for nonsecretors! That was just one of several improvements made. And Barry, the older version can be used up without fear! :-) The New Chapter varieties are no longer produced, since we went to the nonsecretor-OK formulas. And the herbals were phased out as their role was taken over by the more specifically-targeted herbal/supp products. thanks, dear friends! ~;-D

Maria wrote from the depths of agony, trying to keep her family on the BTD ~

Hi Heidi, for the mom of 3 girls with bread issues -- She might do better with your tip of introducing new foods rather than a power struggle over cutting out old ones. My happiest bread substitute is Mochi, a pounded rice dough product in the refrigerator section of Whole Foods. There's cinnamon raisin flavor & pizza flavor among others. It's fun too -- you bake it for ten minutes and it puffs up and kind of bloops out the sides, kids would like that. Maia

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This is for Maria: I have 4 children, 3 B's and 1 O type, I and my husband are B. My 2 boys, both B's are grown and out of the house, so I am left with my 2 girls, 1-O and 1-B. We homeschool so we are together 24-7 . I find that educating them in all areas of life is essential. I teach them continually about their food choices. I find that having a pantry full of acceptable foods and having them accessible is necessary. It takes a little work and planning, but that's part of the Mom job description.

Each morning I make breakfast : oatmeal, eggs and Ezekiel toast, or spelt pancakes or waffles. Sometimes we have organic turkey sausage or bacon ( the Applegate brand ). Then I cut up some fresh fruit later in the morning for snacks. For lunch we have leftovers from the night before or some homemade soup. In the afternoon I provide more cut up fruit, cheese , yogurt , or almond butter on Ezekiel or spelt bread. Then I make a beneficial or neutral meat with salad and some cooked vegetable, and maybe some brown ricefor dinner.

The trick is to plan ahead and have acceptable food available all the time. I find that a "picky" child is not really hungry enough, and when they do get hungry enough they will go for the food that is there on the counter. If they know there is junk food available they will go for that. I also make their favorite cookies using spelt flour, which curbs the desire for "junk" food. ( use any recipe, just substitute spelt flour and acceptable ingredients).

My B daughter doesn't like fish, but I tell her that it is good for her and she needs the protein to grow. I also tell her that she grows and changes a little each day so she needs to "try it again" , in case her taste buds have grown and changed a little since the last time ( even if it has only been 3 days since that last fish dinner). If she doesn't eat enough of the fish, she may have yogurt.

I have also taught my daughter to eat plain yogurt, not the highly sugared kind. We add cut up fresh fruit to it and it tastes great. This was accomplished one day when she was having symptoms of urinary tract irritation. She had frequency, and burning . I pointed out to her that she had been eating alot of extra sugar ( around the holidays, there were alot of parties and "junk" around) and I thought that was what was causing it, so as a remedy I had her drink extra water and eat extra yogurt--plain. I explained that the sweet yogurt had too much sugar in it and it would only make her feel worse. This remedy worked quickly, so now she enjoys the plain yogurt because it made her feel better and she associates that with feeling good. This is now part of our regular diet.

In the past my girls have asked for foods that other people eat, but I show them the ingredients and explain what those foods do to them and why we have made the choices we have made. I let them occasionally indulge at parties or when we visit other people's houses, but when they complain of a stomach ache or headache I am quick to point out what they have eaten. In many cases they find the indulgance wasn't worth it.

The important thing for me is to have good food choices at home all the time, so that they know what it is to feel good after you eat. That way they know the difference when they eat incorrectly. Suzanna

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Hello Heidi! Reading your column is the first thing I do in my day!

With reference to the question from Maria today about children - I have a similar problem. I'm struggling with milk but am adding a teaspoonful a day of almond milk to cow's milk, hoping to reach a point when it is 100% almond and therefore neutral! (For all types I think?)

[H: Yep! spelt, too ~ for all but O nonsecretors... ;-}]

My daughter's an A like myself and loves her milk but hates the taste of soya milk which she can detect at a hundred paces, even in a home-made milkshake. As for bread - white spelt bread (neutral for all?) is the closest taste to "normal" white bread and seems very acceptable to children. I can buy it easily here in Switzerland but make my own too into which I smuggle some beneficials and wholemeal spelt.

Pure rye bread, when I make it myself, is sticky enough to go down well with children too. I add a fair amount of maple syrup to the dough for now until my daughter's tastes have been modified!

Incidentally, since starting this diet, my daughter, who's nearly 5, has "gone off" French fries - an avoid for A's! Since they were my favourite childhood food I find this astonishing! She prefers rice noodles! ("White worms") I believe success with children means incorporating all the neutrals and substituting avoids very slowly and very sneakily with less damaging foods. Good luck! Dawn

Nice work, ladies! You're showing the world that it can be done, and I salute you for doing what it takes to raise a healthy new generation of kids!

Dear Heidi, My husband (type O secretor) has been diagnosed with a "mild hiatus hernia" 2 years ago after having had discomfort from acid reflux. He has since been taking medicine (Protinex) every other day to keep it under control. A friend just sent us an article in which it is suggested that the condition can be cured by using acidophillus and super enzymes instead of just treating the symptom. We would appreciate your opinion of this and also would like to know whether using Dr D'Adamo's probiotic formula for type O would have the same result. Also, most diary products containing acidophilus like yogurt and kefir are avoids for type O... would acidophillus capsules also be an avoid? Thank you so much for a wonderful column, I really look forward to reading it whenever I can and learn so much from reading all the prevoiusly asked questions. Kind Regards. Ilze Sims

Greetings, Ilze! A girl after my own heart: we surely don't want to just treat the symptoms! :-D OK: here are the drug-free things to do for hiatus hernia, for ALL types. First, call every chiropractor in your area, and find one who knows how to perform the... diaphragm pull-down maneuver. There is a name for this move, which of course I have handily forgot just now when I need it. Once upon a time, long ages ago when I lived on whole wheat and vegetables, I had quite the hiatus hernia myself. My chiro fixed it right up with that "__ Maneuver." Your husband will get relief immediately, and any chiro who can do it will recognize what you're asking about. ~;-D Also, see the column from July 23 on this topic!

Meanwhile, get a couple of fresh whole ginger roots and stick them in the fridge. In a juicer, grind up a one-by-two-inch piece (approximate!) and feed your husband the juice (a half-teaspoon or so) in the morning, half an hour before eating. It will "burn" at bit, but no harm is done -- it's a GOOD thing. Have him take it on an empty stomach, before each meal, and any other time he'd like some. ;-) You can juice up to a cup of it at a time; it will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.

Also: No eating within 3 hours of bedtime. Liquids are fine, or a tiny snack say, two hours before sleep, but dat's it.

Raise the head of the bed 6 inches or so ~ safest method is to put a stack of nailed-together two-by-fours under the headboard's legs, unless you have one of those crank-uppable Craft-Matics! :-D This has helped loads of people with reflux. And it's only temporary ~ you'll be able to get back level with the world when your husband's asymptomatic.

Finally: have him separate flesh protein foods from grains. For instance, one type of meal would be eggs, meat, fish, or fowl eaten with vegetables. The other type is rice, bread, etc. eaten with vegetables and a good helping of oil, butter or ghee. Combining meat & grain at one meal may be the original cause of the trouble, and inadequate amounts of fat with grain may be making it too difficult to digest for him. It's easy for Os because we should only eat grains three times per week, right? :-) Right? This one strategy can prevent him having the problem ever again, once it is resolved. (p.s.: exercise to relieve stress!)

Probiotics are wonderful, but I'd use Peter's (which are the correct specific flora & fauna by blood type along with a nice food supply for them) ~ however, I would not depend upon them to get rid of the hernia.

OK! Get to work! :-D and thanks so much for your compliments! They are greatly appreciated. :-)

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Dear Heidi, Thank you so much for your column and the kind and supportive manner that you have. Reading your column regularly helps me stay on track with this lifestyle. I'm an o-non. I've been following this plan since 1996. It took many years of gradual change in diet habits and a lot of patience to improve my health. Since my state of being healthy has been stable, I have gained self-confidence and happiness. I fully believe in this lifestyle and I'm deeply grateful to Dr. D, and to you and your colleagues for helping me get to a better state of being. My questions: 1) Red wine is beneficial for o-nons, so does that mean it's good to have a lot of it? How much is too much? 2) I generally practice eating beneficials and neutral and for the most part don't eat avoids. I don't watch the frequency of what I eat, for instance I may wind up having some grain each day instead of 3x a week. Since you are an o-non would you be able to post a sample diet so I can see what kind of pattern I should aspire to follow? 3) Did I spot somewhere that you are based in NYC? If so, are you available for nutritional consultations? a big virtual hug and a thousand thanks. -emme

Ah, I can feel that hug!! :-D I'm tremendously pleased you have found your way along with this plan. It truly is a life-changing diet, isn't it? Emme, wine is intended as an occasional beverage, for its cardiovascular effects proceeding out of moderate intake. I'd say no more than one glass per day, and best only a couple of times per week. I would dearly love to offer consultations, although that is one of those things I know are beyond my resources of time and commitment ~ who knows, I might take it on as well at some point. For now I cannot, but I am so flattered by the request! :-) However, I did post a sample meal/shopping guide which might be of help to you ~ in this column from May. I rarely eat grain, since I use the abundant O-vegetables so extensively. Since my guy is type A, I do have bread, rice and a variety of other grains in the freezer, but if you have escaped the multiple-type household fate (LOL!) it will be an easy measure to eliminate temptation by planning other kinds of meals and just not buying the breads! ;-) Thank you for writing, dear!!

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Hi Heidi! This is a very informative site and I thank you for keeping up with it. My husband (O-) and I (AB+) have been doing ok on the diet (we're a bit lazy about it). Our major problem is coffee and sweets (decaf for me and caffeinated for Luke). Is this a real problem? I've been drinking coffee (espressos, lattes, etc.) since I was 3. I was also wondering if ER4YB is still on schedule for release in March. We've been trying to have a baby for 8 years now. The diet is starting to regulate my hormones, if I can just stick with it. I also noticed that there are really big differences in food consumption and choices between the AB Secretor and Non-Secretor statuses. Would knowing this bit of info help to speed up weight lose? And what would you recommend for my sweet tooth (ice-cream & chocolate mainly) and Luke's obsession with sodas? I've been drinking a glass of Papaya juice when the craving for something sweet strikes, but it only curbs it a little. The Winters also make it hard to stay on the diet. I prefer summer foods, but they're too cold to eat in these temperatures. Thanks for your time! :0 ) Kathy & Luke

MMMmm, coffee and chocolate! Yum! Well, coffee can begin to present a noticeable problem if adrenal exhaustion sets in. The more stress you're under, the greater the risk that coffee's effects can put that one last straw on the endocrine system. Os and ABs have a similar stress response in many ways, so this is something for both of you to consider. In the meantime, it is limiting your husband's calcium absorption, subverting his natural tumor-protective abilities and raising his stomach-acid levels. For you, it does very similar things, so I'd try making it an occasional treat rather than a daily beverage -- especially if you plan to have a baby, for which you should be in tip-top shape! As far as I know, ER4YB is still expected early this year!

Knowing your secretor status could indeed help with the weight loss -- but only if you follow the diet, you little devil!! ;-> just kidding!! L-glutamine is helpful for cravings, but I think the key lies in forming new habits. Evaluate the chocolate and soda use ~ see if the urges come at certain times in the day or month (in your case). Commercial soda is one of the worst things anyone can do to themselves. Luke could do far better with a mixed drink like seltzer or mineral water, a few tablespoons of cherry, grape or blueberry concentrate, and a squeeze of lime or lemon. Believe it or not, a half-cup of licorice tea with cherry concentrate, topped up with fizzy mineral water, tastes uncannily like Dr. Pepper! and it's good for him. :-) For the chocolate jones:

You were probably looking for a way to stop the longing for chocolate, but if l-glutamine doesn't do the trick for you, I suggest using recipes like this (occasionally!) which contain one or more beneficials!

Seasonal eating, as well as getting plenty of sleep, is something that will truly help you toward your health goals if you can just angle toward it a bit. Try some classic Italian dishes based upon stir-fried bitter greens, turkey meatballs and broth. Fish is wonderful year-round. Goat and lamb work beautifully in strong-flavored stews. Pick up a recipe or two from the Net, adapt it for your two types, and try it out. This approach allows us all to vary the foods in our diets and get excited about it all ~ even if we've been doing it for years! ;-) I hope some of this helps, and thanks for writing, Kathy!